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One of the defense lawyers at The Law Offices of Kyle J. Humphrey recently spoke out against a California bill that would put an end to the use of a defense that is based on a defendant’s wealthy background, or the “Affluenza” defense, in court.

Bakersfield, CA (PRWEB)January 22, 2014

Bakersfield Criminal Defense Attorney Jared Thompson, of The Law Offices of Kyle J. Humphrey, was recently interviewed by 23ABC News (KERO-Bakersfield) about a new bill that proposes to eliminate the “Affluenza” defense, or a defense based of someone’s wealthy upbringing, in criminal cases. Attorney Thompson’s comments about why such a bill could be harmful were included in the 23ABC News story titled “California lawmaker introduces legislative cure for ‘Affluenza,” which was posted on the news outlet’s website on January 16, 2014. Attorney Thompson’s comments were also included in a corresponding broadcast segment aired by the television news station.

California Assemblyman Mike Gratto introduced a bill (AB 1508) that would ban the use of the “Affluenza” defense in trial, as well as for the purpose of lowering a defendant’s sentence. In the article and video of the broadcast segment, ABC also provided an opposing view concerning the bill—this was the view of Attorney Thompson. Mr. Thompson stated that such a ban would make the system overly punitive and simply work to put more people in prison. He said it would also place excessive limitations on the arguments that a defense lawyer could make for the defendant.

Furthermore, Attorney Thompson noted that for many young offenders, jail just isn’t the answer. Young people do not always realize how serious their actions are and attorneys should always be able to present these arguments in court before a sentence is decided, Attorney Thompson said.

Attorney Thompson was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2009 and has been practicing law at The Law Offices of Kyle J. Humphrey for several years now. He is also admitted to practice law in the U.S. District Court. The lawyer works diligently to protect the rights of individuals who have been charged with alleged crimes. He provides high-quality defense for individuals who are facing DUI charges, as well as many other types of criminal charges. Whether he is negotiating with a prosecutor or presenting the client’s case in a jury trial, Attorney Thompson serves as a strong legal advocate for those he represents.

The Law Offices of Kyle J. Humphrey is a Bakersfield criminal defense law firm that draws from more than 25 years of criminal law experience. In fact, the firm even has the benefit of having a former Kern County prosecutor on its legal team. The law firm is prepared to assist clients with various types of criminal matters. For more information about the law firm, visit http://www.bakersfielddefenselawfirm.com.